


A Summer of Strawberry Lemonade

by angryschnauzer



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Picnic (2013)
Genre: 1950s, Assault, Dirty Dancing, Dirty Dancing AU, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Smut, So many tropes, Unprotected Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-29 03:55:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19822015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angryschnauzer/pseuds/angryschnauzer
Summary: Working the summer at a holiday resort in the 1950's, you meet all sorts of characters and spend the months there finding yourself. But when one rather handsome gardener finds you, it means a new start but also trouble; both good and bad.Written for a tumblr writing challenge based around the movie Dirty Dancing.





	A Summer of Strawberry Lemonade

The resort was one of the finest in the tri county area, popular with families and older couples, and the owners took pride in the fact that they kept the place shining in its full glory all season long. It wasn’t cheap to stay there, and that was reflected in the service that the guests received, the owners ensuring that when the summer ended, the guests went home having already paid a deposit for the following year’s visit.

The main restaurant was served by waiters, all dressed in the finest uniforms and on summer break from Ivy League schools. The were encouraged to flirt with the wives and mothers who visited; the husbands usually spending most of the evening out on the terrace smoking cigars and drinking brandy. The husbands didn’t care if a young man half their age ‘serviced’ their wives, it meant they didn’t have to and could spend their time networking with other wealthy guests and working on building business deals. 

There was however a guest contingent that didn’t want the unwanted attention of horny young men, and that was the older guests; the retired and grandparent guests. They didn’t want loud evening entertainment, they wanted their main meal in the middle of the day and to take tea on the hibiscus terrace at 5pm. This was where you were employed, as a polite and efficient waitress, prim uniform that reached below your knees and was up to your neck. It was starched and pressed every morning, and no matter what, you smiled and nodded as the old dears spoke around and over you as you served them. But it all paid off; your tips were incredible and would pay for the typewriter lessons you planned on taking when you returned home after the summer, the small jar that held hard earned gains stashed under the loose floorboard in your bedroom of the shared staff cabin.

Pushing through the well oiled swing doors to the kitchen, you carefully set the armfuls of dirty dishes on to the side before loading them ready for the dishwashing team to get started. The first half of your shift was almost over, and the pitcher of strawberry lemonade that sat on the counter near the service entrance door was calling to you. Pouring a glass you paused as it filled, smiling and pulling another glass closer before taking the two outside, he’d be by soon with the flowers for the evening table arrangements.

As if on cue, you paused in the shady stoop of the back entrance and smiled as you saw him striding up the path from the service road where his truck was parked, the wooden tray of blooms held wide in his arms.

“Afternoon Miss” Hal smiled as he spoke, the warmth spreading over his face as he saw you.

“Hey there Hal, you know you don’t need to call me Miss”

Setting the old wooden crate down, he wiped the back of his hand across his forehead before standing to one side, squinting into the sun;

“I know you tell me that Miss, but them rules the rules, the bosses say i gotta speak to house staff a certain way, i gotta stick to it; never know who’s gonna hear me say the wrong thing and i gotta keep this job, its gonna help with my studies in the fall”

His words hung in the air for a moment before you cleared your throat, glancing over the mixed blooms that had been bunched with burlap twine. Your gaze fell onto a small posy of daisies and you picked them up;

“Oh Hal these are so pretty, but they don’t want daisies”

After a short pause you suddenly heard Hal’s voice much closer, having not realised he’d moved;

“Those are for you Miss, they’re so bright and sunny, I think they’re really pretty; just like you...”

You felt your body heat at Hal’s words, you’d spent all summer dreaming of him each time he came by the kitchen door with produce, but this was the first time he’d brought something just for you;

“Th-thank you Hal, they’re beautiful… I'm just gonna put them in some water” you turned before pausing; “I poured you a glass o’ lemonade if you want it, its strawberry…”

As you set the daisies into a glass on the windowsill you watched Hal lift the glass to his lips and down it, your gaze travelling down his tanned neck to where his denim shirt sat unbuttoned to the centre of his chest. You had thought so many times what it would be like to trace that path with your tongue, to feel the warmth of his skin beneath your lips… 

The sound of his voice brought you out of your little trance, shaking your head before you met him at the doorway and he handed you the glass;

“Thank you Miss, I'd better get going, got a field of raspberry vines that aren’t gonna pick themselves for tomorra’s breakfast orders”

“See ya later Hal, and Thank you for the flowers”

“Not a problem Miss”

He nodded his head a little before you watched him walk back to his truck, sipping on your lemonade as he drove off. That man looked pure sin, but had the face and demeanor of an angel. He made your heart sing and want to drop your morals. You shook your head to clear your mind of him, the last thing you needed was to be all hot and bothered for the second half of your shift and the dinner rush.

-

It was late. The tea on the terrace guests had enjoyed the string quartet so much that where your shift usually finished at seven, it was almost 9pm by the time you had finished serving the small glasses of sherry to the retiree’s as they listened to the smooth notes of Bach and Chopin. With the tables finally cleared and the guests either heading back to their rooms or for a final quiet drink on the lawns at the front of the main building, you were relieved to finally be able to leave. With your tips for the evening in your pocket and your flowers from Hal in an old mason jar, you finally stepped out of the door and looked up at the night sky.

The milky way was bright, shining its blues, purples and pinks above the treeline, the tall pines surrounding the area giving off their resiny aroma as it mixed with the scent of the flowers that surrounded the resort. 

Your heels were pinching your feet, you hated having to wear them but the uniform was dictated and proper young women wore heels, no matter whether they hurt your feet or not. Toeing them off you set your posy onto the path before bending down to rub at your aching and blistered heels, and that’s when you heard a quiet laugh;

“Hey babe, what a view. You need a man to walk you home?”

The voice immediately got on your nerves; it was Michael, one of the nastier wait staff, and thought he was god's gift to women. It may not be your place to speak back to a man, but he was also an ass;

“No, i can walk just fine”

“Not from what i can see, think you need a big strong man to take care of you”

Standing and scowling at him with your hands on your hips you weren’t about to back down, this guy had been a dick all summer, boasting about how much money his father earned and how many of the older female guests like to pay him fifty bucks a night to take them to bed and give them what their husbands couldn’t;

“What's wrong Michael, the dowager not want you tonight?”

He closed the distance between you quickly, attempting to intimidate you but it wasn’t going to work; you were hot, tired, and far too many people had riled you up during your extra long shift;

“What’d you say? Someone should teach you a lesson, to have some respect for men”

A voice behind you came out clear through the darkness;

“Respect should be earnt, not expected”

As the faint light from the open kitchen door stretched down the path, you saw Hal coming up from his truck carrying three huge trays of raspberries. He paused where you and Michael stood, pushing into Michael’s personal space;

“You’d better take these Sir, a big man like you is obviously much stronger than a little lady”

Without even breaking a sweat Hal heaved the three wooden crates into Michael’s arms, the weedier man struggling under the weight before he finally let out a huff and turned to the kitchen, knowing full well that it was the kitchen and wait staff’s responsibility to take in the deliveries from the garden workers.

Hal stood with you as you both watched Michael disappear into the building;

“Are you ok Miss? Was he bothering you?”

“I am, thank you. And yes, or at least he was trying to” you turned and picked up your shoes and the jar of flowers, before you both started to walk towards the gravel track that ran behind the building; “I overheard the wealthy dowager talking at tea about how he had continually been trying to bed her, she wasn’t interested in a boy like him one little bit. She loves her husband to bits and said to the senator's wife that if she was going to sponsor a member of staff for their studies, it would be someone who deserved it, not a trust fund kid”

Hal chuckled; “You’ve got some spunk, you know that Miss?”

“Nah, I've just been on my feet fourteen hours and didn’t have patience for someone like Michael”

Hal shuffled from one foot to another;

“Hey Miss, can i give you a ride back to your cabin? The gravel isn’t going to be fun on bare feet”

“Sure, I'd like that”

Hal quickly ran to the passenger door, opening it and taking your hand as you hopped in, before running around to the drivers side. Gently backing out onto the gravel, he set off across the resort towards the staff accommodation.

As you drove past the cabins and activity areas, there was a comfortable silence between the two of you, only broken when you would give quiet directions to Hal. Eventually you asked him to pull into the small stop area;

“This is me, just up the hill” you nodded to a small group of staff cabins that were fifty feet into the trees, a straight view down to the lake that sat at the centre of the resort.

“Wow, they put you girls a long way from the resort”

“Oh it's not too bad, usually we finish in time for the golf carts to take us home”

“Miss, could i be forward and ask to walk you to your door?”

You smiled;

“You could, but i’m not going to my door just yet, i was gonna sit on the dock and let my feet soak in the lake for a bit…” you paused; “Did you want to join me?”

“I’d love to”

That night you sat on the end of the dock, your feet in the cool waters of the spring fed lake, with Hal sitting beside you. He’d been reluctant to take his work boots off, citing that his feet probably stank to high heaven, but you smiled at him with the sweetest of smiles and soon he was rolling his work pants up to his knees to join you. Occasionally your foot would brush against his, that smooth underwater touch that sent shivers down your spine. Eventually the night grew late and you couldn’t stop the yawns, so with damp feet he did walk you to your door.

He was the perfect gentleman, didn’t say or ask for anything, didn’t even ask for a kiss, instead he smiled and waved as he made his way back to his truck, and with a final wave made his own way home.

-

It had been seven nights now that Hal had timed his deliveries with the end of your shift perfectly; whether you were leaving on time or had to work late, and as you opened the back door to the kitchen you smiled when you saw Hal talking to one of the kitchen supervisors. Pausing as he saw you, a smile lit up his face and he shook the man's hand before the supervisor passed you on the path with a smile.

“Hey there Miss, need a ride tonight?”

“Oh Hal, thank you, i’d love one. It's really kind of you waiting for me…”

“Miss, I'd wait until the earth stopped spinning for you”

He opened the door to his truck and let you sit before gently closing it, and you watched as he swiped his hand through his hair as he made is way around to the drivers side. The drive to your cabin was beautiful that evening, the sun still on the horizon and illuminating the surface of the lake. Whilst still halfway there Hal slowed the truck, turning to you;

“Miss? Would you like to take a walk with me tonight? There’s a spot up on the ridge where you can see the stars so beautifully”

Turning and smiling, you nodded;

“I’d really like that Hal”

When still a few hundred feet from your cabin Hal pulled his truck onto the side of the track, parking up before running around to your door;

“Did you want to change your shoes first Miss? It's an easy walk and it's a grass path, but I didn't know if you wanted…” he trailed off as you set your hand gently on his arm

“I’m good, I'll just go barefoot”

Slipping your heels off you left them in the truck before Hal held his hand out for you in an unspoken gesture, and you nervously slipped your own into his large palm.

-

Hal had been right, the walk up the ridge was soft grass the whole way and as the pine trees thinned and the clearing at the top of the ridge came into view your breath was taken away by the uninhibited view of the stars above;

“Oh Hal, its beautiful”

You span on your bare feet, twirling the two of you around as you continued to gasp Hal’s hand before he finally caught your hip with his other hand and you were looking into his eyes;

“Miss, even with all the stars above us, you’re still the most beautiful thing I've ever seen… I didn’t bring you up here to do this, but I'd really like to kiss you…”

You nodded, closing the distance between the two of you until your lips met. His kiss was soft and as he wrapped his arms around you, he held you tight as the kiss deepened and you felt that brush of his tongue against your bottom lip. You clung to his shoulders as he slipped his tongue into your mouth and for all the stars in the sky there were more behind your eyelids as sparks seemingly flew around you. 

When the need for air finally took over you broke apart with a gasp and a smile, Hal cupping your cheek as he gazed into your eyes;

“I’ve never met a girl like you”

“Like me?”

“One that only sees me for me”

“I wouldn’t see you as anything less Hal”

With a gentle laugh Hal smiled at you, his expression warm and peaceful before he looked up;

“Here, let me show you the stars and constellations. My Momma taught me all of them”

And there the two of you lay, Hal spreading his shirt on the soft grass to protect your work blouse, as he pointed out the stars. His arm was warm around you as you snuggled to his chest, the soft jersey of his undershirt warm against your cheek. 

Eventually the night grew late and the tiredness from your long day at work meant you could no longer stifle the yawns. Hal helped you to your feet and you walked back down the hill, hand in hand, climbing back into his truck for the last few hundred feet to your cabin. 

That night you let him walk you to your door, the woods quiet around you as you stood on the step and he wrapped his arms around your waist;

“Miss, can i get a goodnight kiss?”

“You certainly can”

He held you against his chest, his lips dancing over your own and you clutched at his shirt, a happy smile breaking through the kiss before with a sigh he finally broke away;

“Your lips taste like heaven Miss”

“Hal, you don’t need to keep calling me Miss… how would you like it if i called you Sir?”

You looked into his eyes as you spoke but were surprised to see his pupils dilate when you asked him that. His voice was low and quiet when he replied;

“Miss, you have no idea how much I'd like that…”

With a final peck on your cheek he cleared his throat and you watched as he quickly walked to his truck, watching as he waved before driving off, his taillights like two red eyes in the night.

What you didn’t see was the pair of eyes watching you from the shoreline path, a darkness brewing within that person’s mind as you entered your cabin.

-

The next morning you woke with a start, the sheets were twisted around your legs and you were hot and sweaty from the subject of your dreams. Laying back you kicked the sheets off and let the soft breeze of the summers day cool your heated skin before a quiet knock at your door interrupted your peace;

“Are you gonna get up? We got plans today!”

It was your roommate Carol, bold and bright she was a joy to share the living space with. She spent the majority of her time coaching tennis on the lawns to the female guests, but your shifts worked out the same so had quickly fallen into a routine of spending your days off with her.

With a groan you pushed yourself up, your body weary from working seven days in a row, but thankful for the two days off you now had from the hot kitchen and spending so much time on your feet. Quickly changing into your swimsuit you met Carol on the porch to your cabin, a smile on your lips as you both ran down to the lake and along the dock before diving into the summer warmed waters with a splash.

You spent most of the morning enjoying the cool waters, before dressing and taking a leisurely walk to the resort. As you neared the main buildings you caught Carol’s arm;

“Do you mind if I take a walk over to the gardens? I wanna see if Hal is working today”

“Sure thing girl”

With a spring in your step you trotted along the grassy paths that led around the back of the main building and past the high hedges, eager to see Hal, when you turned a corner and ran solidly into someone. Falling on your ass you looked up dazed to see an unfriendly face glaring down at you;

“You little bitch” Michael sneered

“Hey” you pushed yourself to your feet; “You should look where you’re going”

Without a pause he grabbed your shirt and snarled into your face;

“You’ve spoken back to me once too often. It's time someone taught you a lesson”

He started to drag you behind the hedge to a small secluded spot where the lawnmowers were stored when a voice interrupted you;

“HEY!”

A voice behind you caught his attention, but this time it wasn’t Hal, and as Carol’s fist came flying past your ear and hit Michael straight on the nose, he let go of you and you landed with a thud on your butts. Carol grabbed your hand and helped you to your feet where you both looked down at Michael as his nose poured blood over his pristine uniform;

“How about you go back to the kitchen where you belong and stay the hell out of my business before I put in a formal complaint” you spat out at him, anger seething in you as you watched him stumble away.

Rubbing your arms Carol looked at you with concern;

“I’m starting to worry about him, we should report him no matter what”

Shaking your head you assured her it was fine, he was all talk;

“But thank you, i’m going to see if Hal is around”

“Well i’m gonna come with you, sounds like you need a bodyguard”

-

Hal smiled when he saw the two of you walking towards him as he dug into the soft earth and pulled up fresh potatoes, thumbing the soil from the smooth skins before placing them in the barrow;

“Miss, Miss” 

He nodded at the pair of you as Carol smiled back;

“He always this polite?”

“Yes” you grinned as you introduced them, Carol sticking her hand out for Hal to shake and you watched as they shook hands firmly.

“Got a good grip there… you’re one of the tennis coaches Miss?”

“That’s me. Also your girl’s roommate”

Hal wiped his brow with his handkerchief and smiled at the two of you;

“Why’d i get the feeling this is like getting big sis to check me out?”

Carol smiled;

“Your girl means a lot to me. We aren’t sisters but i like to look out for her, like I did just now with Michael”

Hals smiled disappeared;

“That ass from the restaurant? What’d he do?”

“Oh nothing” you quickly countered before Carol stepped in

“It wasn’t nothing, he wasn’t looking where he was going and knocked your girl down. He wasn’t that gentlemanly about it and ended up with a punch to the nose”

Carol flexed her hand to prove her point, but Hal rested his hand on your arm;

“Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Really, I'm fine”

Before you could continue the conversation the head gardener crossed the radish patch and set a large wooden crate down on top of Hal’s barrow;

“Ladies, you keeping my best worker from digging up those tatties?”

“Sure are Mr Mcgreggor” Carol smiled; “Brought his girl down to brighten his day too”

The head gardener nodded his cap to you;

“Nice to meet you Miss. Mr Carter here has told me all about you” he turned to Carol; “Good to see you again Coach Danvers. My son’s back swing has really improved since you gave him those pointers”

“Happy to help Mr Mcgreggor” she smiled; “Hey, you need a hand to take these up to the kitchens? Give Hal some time with my friend here?”

The gardener laughed;

“He shouldn’t even be working today, it's his day off. And normally I wouldn't even consider letting a pretty girl help, but i’ve seen your swing and know you can handle these crates with no problem Carol” he turned to Hal; “And you get off home. Take your girl for a picnic or something, it's a beautiful day. Swing by my cottage, the Mrs has been baking today and always has spare for you”

-

You didn’t think any more of the resort for the rest of the day, instead you’d sat on the warm grass as Hal had insisted he’d finish digging that row of potatoes, before he’d taken your hand and had shyly asked if you’d like to accompany him to his cabin so he could clean up. You’d sat on the little porch as you’d waited for him to change, swooning a little when you saw him in clean slacks and a bright yellow shirt. Grabbing a few things from his pantry, he took your hand and swinging a basket in his other, the two of you took yourselves off on a long walk through the woods for the afternoon.

As the sun grew heavy in the sky you had started to make your way back to Hal’s cabin, clouds starting to grow on the horizon before you felt the cool breeze of the rain that was coming. Quickening your pace it wasn’t quick enough, and the first few drops hit your heated skin when you were still half a mile away. By the time you reached his cabin you were soaked to the skin, your tee and shorts plastered to your skin, Hal’s shirt completely soaked through.

Standing in the small one room cabin, the air was tense as you shivered on the spot, before Hal wrapped his arms around you and his kiss instantly warmed you. Your fingers strayed to the buttons of his shirt and before you’d even realised, you were starting to undress one another and wet clothing landing softly on the floor. 

When you were down to your underwear Hal’s arousal was evident, and with a nervous touch you reached out and cupped his hardness through the thin cotton of his underwear. With a gasp his head fell back and his eyes fluttered shut, his long eyelashes resting against his cheeks as he gasped out at the pleasure;

“Doll… you keep doing that things will be over before they begin”

Taking your hand he kissed up the length of your arm before he travelled over your shoulders, the straps of your bra being tugged down before he was able to cup your unrestrained breasts before finally pulling away, his expression kind but also full of concern;

“I don’t want to rush you into anything you don’t wanna do Doll… I don’t know what you’ve done before or how far you’ve gone…”

You stuttered, suddenly embarrassed of your past experience. You’d always been taught that good girls waited and didn’t do anything until they were married, but… well…

“I… I've touched before, but you know, made a guy feel good… I've not gone all the way before…”

“And has anyone ever touched you? Made you feel good?”

You shook your head, nervously biting your lip;

“Do you want me to? Do you want me to make you feel good?” Hal’s voice was pure sin, and you were nodding before your mouth and brain could even catch up. You let him lead you to his bed, setting you down on the soft quilt as his hands rested on your shorts and you watched him strip you of those and your underwear until you were bared before him;

“So fuckin’ beautiful…”

There was no shame or embarrassment as Hal planted soft kisses up your thighs and settled on his stomach between your legs. With a wicked glint in his eyes he hooked your legs over his shoulders and pressed a kiss to your mound. You bit your lip, holding back the moans of desire as his long tongue darted out and swiped a thick stripe through your soaked folds;

“Taste like the sweetest nectar Doll…”

He dived in and his tongue was everywhere, licking at your entrance before tracing patterns up to your sensitive pearl, sucking on it gently. You were writhing beneath him so much that he had to throw an arm across your stomach to keep you still as he drove you closer and closer to your peak, and with a scream your hands flew to his hair and you reached your orgasm on his tongue. 

As you lay loose limbed on Hals bed, he climbed up your body and settled at your side, a smile on his face before you reached over and kissed him, tasting yourself on his lips;

“That was… that was amazing…”

“Oh Doll, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet”

His fingers danced over your stomach and dipped between your legs, your skin still tingling from your orgasm but you relished his touch, the slide of his calloused fingers exploring your soft folds, and as he gently rubbed his thumb over your pearl he traced around your entrance with a thick finger;

“Is this ok?”

You nodded, letting out a deep breath as he slid that finger into you slowly. The sensation was strange at first, to feel something  _ inside  _ you, but as he moved gently you could feel your body responding to his efforts. Soon your back was arching and you were clutching at the sheets, begging for more and you felt him slide a second finger into you. 

“You are doing so well Doll, squeezin’ my fingers so good. You feel like heaven and look like an angel…”

Hal poured praise down on you like you were the centre of his universe, and right in that moment he was the centre of yours. As he curled his fingers within you, he touched a spot that made you see stars, your cry of pleasure filling the room as you orgasmed on his hand. 

You felt him gently withdraw from you, and watched through your bliss filled state as he licked your juices from his fingers. Rolling onto your side you traced your hand down his stomach and cupped his erection through his shorts;

“Hal… I want to… if you want to…”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure Hal… please, make love to me…” your voice was quiet, barely a whisper; “I love you…”

Hal paused, he must’ve been hearing things because no dame had ever said that before. He had to be sure;

“Do… do you love me?...”

“I do Hal”

Laying on the bed you watched as he stood and shed his underwear, your eyes going wide as you saw his thick shaft standing proud. You hadn’t seen many before, and those that you had were thinner and far less impressive. You knew the mechanics of how this would happen but it didn’t quell your nerves, but all those thoughts were lost as Hal settled between your thighs and let his heavy length rest against your soaked folds. His lips captured your own and he kissed you again, his tongue pushing into your mouth and dancing with your own as you felt him start to rock his hips back and forth. 

Soon you were meeting his movements, open mouthed gasps as his tip bumped between your sensitive pearl before dipping down to just catch at your entrance, before finally with one smooth rock of his hips he was slowly filling you. 

“Oh sweet heaven…” Hal dropped his head to your shoulder and took a deep breath; “You feel so good around me Doll, never felt anything like this…”

“Please Hal… move… I need you to move…”

With a smirk he pushed himself up onto his strong arms and started to push and pull, thrust into you in fluid movements and was soon ploughing into you like a railroad crew laying track. The raw power in his body was driving you to yet another orgasm, and as you came for a third time you screamed out his name and tears of joy fell down your cheeks. Hal paused inside you, letting you ride out your high before he pulled out and with a wicked grin on his face, helped to turn you until you were on your hands and knees. With a groan he entered you again, this time from behind, the wet slap of skin against skin as he thrust into your welcoming body driving you to one final orgasm. As you shook and struggled to hold yourself up on weak arms, Hal finally pulled out of you and fisted himself, reaching his own release over your back as his seed splashed against your heated skin.

With a final shudder you both fell to the bed, a sticky messy pile of heaving and happy bodies and that is where you spent the night, wrapped in each others arms.

-

A knock at the door the next morning woke both of you with a start, a rapid series of thumps on the door following and a shout of Hal’s name.

“You stay here Doll, stay under the covers”

Worried, you peeked out from under the quilt as Hal quickly pulled on his pants and shirt from the day before, opening the door and frowning as a local deputy was standing on his porch along with resort security.

“Mr Carter, we’ve had an accusation of assault, you’ll need to come with us…”

Hal stayed silent, nodding, he knew it was best to stay quiet until things were sorted out, and as he glanced inside to where you were hidden, his nod was almost indiscernible to where his work book sat. Without another glance he was led away, the deputy none the wiser that you were still inside the cabin.

-

You’d dressed quickly, grimacing as you’d pulled on your still wet shorts, and finding one of Hal’s shirts to cover your top half and tying it at the waist. You’d watched as the cruiser took Hal away, and once it was out of sight you ran from his cabin, heading straight for Mr Mcgreggors cottage. Knocking on the door you danced from one foot to the other, anxious as there was no answer before a voice called around from the small yard at the back of the cottage;

“Yes? Oh, Miss, what are you doing here?”

Mr Mcgreggor was still in his slippers, a pipe hanging from his jaw and you weren’t used to seeing him without his work overalls on, but the sound of tennis behind him made you realise it was his son’s weekly ‘off the books’ lesson with Carol;

“Its Hal, the resort security came with a deputy and arrested him! I wasn’t sure what to do, he told me to stay quiet until they were gone, they said something about assault…”

At your words Carol’s voice was behind you;

“Michael…”

Mr Mcgreggor nodded;

“I bet that snivelling trust fund brat has made up some bullshit - excuse my language ladies - about his little run in with Coach Danvers yesterday”

He patted your shoulder;

“Don’t you worry, let me make a call to someone important then we’ll head down to the sheriff’s station”

-

You and Carol had sat nervously in the back of Mr Mcgreggors Buick, Carol holding your hand as you both thought through increasingly worrying circumstances. As he pulled into a space in front of the foreboding almost overwhelming you. Part of your contracts with the resort was that you had to remain morally sound for the time you worked there. It meant no in-fighting, no fraternising with the other staff, no back chatting, no covering for other members of staff doing things they shouldn’t be doing.

With nervous steps you walked behind Hal’s boss, chewing on a fingernail as he told the two of you to take a seat in the stuffy waiting room off to the side and he went to speak to the desk sergeant. The opening of a door and the sound of an annoyingly familiar voice laughing with the officer could soon be heard;

“Well young man, thank you for bringing this to us, we’ll make sure he gets the justice he deserves…”

Before the officer could finish, Mcgreggors voice came booming around the hallway;

“Officer, I suggest you get the Chief down here now. Tell him Frank Mcgreggor is here and we’ve got another one like we had in Limoges in 1943…”

The young officer paled, and a realisation hit him that as much as Michael had told him a seemingly perfect account of an assault, he feared his Chief more when one of his army buddies appeared in the station. 

-

Over the next hour you and Carol were witness to a surprising round of events, Mcgreggor and the police chief immediately figuring out that where Michael had gone to security and then the police with a falsified tale of assault from his rival for a love interest that wasn’t remotely interested, he had tried to place the blame on Hal for his bloodied nose and black eye. 

Soon Hal appeared from the holding cells, rubbing at his wrists and it was only then that Michael spotted you and Carol as you ran to Hal, launching yourself into his arms as he hugged you tight. Mr Mcgreggor shook the Chief’s hand before ushering the three of you out of the building, Michael glaring at the group of you before shouting out after you;

“You haven’t heard the last of this! My Father will hear of this”

-

The four of you sat in the Mcgreggors cottage, each nursing a glass of whiskey as the older man had sat you down and asked for a full explanation of what had happened. As you’d told him of the unwanted advances Michael had given you over the summer you could see Hal’s fist tightening on his glass until you rested a hand on his arm;

“Hal, its ok…”

“No its not” he growled through gritted teeth; “Just because he’s a spoiled brat who’s Daddy has always paid his way out of trouble he thinks he can treat women like objects and do whatever he wants”

A quiet knock at the door interrupted everyone’s thoughts, and as Mrs Mcgreggor answered you recognized the assistant head of resort security as he walked into the cottage and took his hat off;

“Frank, good to see you…” he glanced into the room and let out a sigh; “Well at least you being here makes my trip easier and i don’t have to go hunting you two ladies down at the lake; the boss needs to have a meeting with you all, tonight. About this unpleasant situation. There’s some behaviour that has happened that we just can’t tolerate, we can’t have guests getting wind of any gossip… his office, 6pm if you will?”

You all nodded, silent as he left. Finally Mr Mcgreggor spoke;

“I need to make a call. You three all head back to your lodgings and get changed into something presentable”

-

You and Carol stood outside the security office, the shouting from inside was the unmistakable tones of Michael’s father, condoning the actions of everyone involved and how his son’s ‘upstanding character’ could never even be considered for anything as heinous as harassment or attempted assault because he was far too attractive for a woman to say no to. Carol couldn’t contain the sarcasm as she rolled her eyes at you and you stifled a quiet laugh. Heavy footsteps drew your attention down the hallway and your breath was taken away when you saw Hal and Frank Mcgreggor striding towards you in smart suits. Hal caught your hand and pressed a kiss to your cheek;

“No matter what, we’ll all get through this, ok?”

You nodded and the secretary called you all into the security office, chairs set out for you all and you settled into them tensely, trying to ignore Michael’s smirk as he sat smugly next to his senator father.

“In light of the unpleasant events that have happened, we need to address this situation as quickly and diplomatically as possible. We cannot have upstanding members of staff assaulted without those crimes going unpunished”

“Now just a minute there Bob” Mr Mcgreggors voice filled the room but the head of security held his hand up;

“You all know the rules of your employment, and anything unbecoming of a member of staff does that would bring down the reputation of the establishment needs to be met with the harshest of punishments and of their immediate termination of employment”

The room fell silent as he looked around the room before nodding to his secretary;

“Beryl, please call in our character witness that has so vehemently insisted on being here”

You all turned to the door, surprise showing on all faces as you saw the wealthy dowager Mrs Roosevelt who had always been standoffish to any serving staff shuffle into the room on her thick legs with two canes. She walked straight up to where Michael was sitting and harshly tapped the end of her cane against his ankle;

“Get up young man, let an old woman have a seat”

Grumbling as he rose, he limped to the side as the mountain of a woman took his seat with a huff.

“Robert…” she started, addressing the head of security; “I am incredibly disappointed to hear of the actions and behaviour of your staff, however having spent the last few weeks here, it does not come as any surprise”

Hal let his head fall to his hands and a quiet groan escaped his mouth;

“We’re doomed” he muttered, low enough that only you could hear, but your eyes were focused on the new guest to the room, having seen her in action over the summer you were curious at her presence.

The head of security shook his head;

“Mrs Roosevelt, you - like myself - know how important it is to maintain the reputation of this establishment…”

“Robert that is exactly what i am saying…” she turned to Michael and his smug looking father; “And it's why arrogant little assholes like Michael should never be employed here, no matter how much their father's promise to donate to the resort”

“Now hang on a goddamn minute!” Michaels’ father sprang to his feet, but Mrs Roosevelt was undeterred;

“Well, you did promise a donation in exchange for them taking on your unemployable son, did you not?”

Michael’s father stuttered;

“Well…”

“And I believe that donation hasn’t actually appeared yet? Am i correct Robert?”

The head of security quietly confirmed, and her smirk widened as she turned to the head of security;

“So I hope that as you have received my husbands donation we can agree that this little shit will never be working here again? With his lies, deception, utter rudeness and arrogance, his willingness to falsely accuse a fine upstanding gentleman of assault, when in fact it was two slight and defenceless girls that had to protect themselves from the unwanted advances of a boy that couldn’t contain being rejected like a child told no to a root beer float?”

Robert turned to Michael and his father;

“My decision is final, Michael you will be escorted off the resort. Your things will be shipped to you at the end of the season”

“But! But!” the young man exclaimed, his father seething as he stood and quietly went to leave the room before the security guards stood firm and closely followed the pair down the hall. 

When they were finally out of earshot the head of Security took a deep breath and looked around the room before standing and offering his hand to Mrs Roosevelt;

“Madam, thank you. That boy has been nothing but a pain in my rear end all summer long. His father was just as much of a pain when he was here and i was hoping to have retired before the second generation started to come for their summer break. I can only apologise for our lack of judgement…”

She stood and took his arm, smiling before she settled back onto her two walking canes and turned to the group of you that still sat but quickly rose to their feet;

“Robert, these fine young people have shown nothing but kindness and perfect etiquette all summer long. I know I don't usually announce my contribution towards your young people’s education until I leave - and that its normally just one - but this year I'll make an exception”

Mr Mcgreggor cleared his throat, bringing you all out of your shock as she explained further and took your hand;

“You young lady, you have shown such bravery and hold the progressive attitude that this country needs. You mentioned briefly at the start of the summer that you wanted to go to typewriting lessons? Well consider them paid for, I'll have it set up that you can have private tuition…”

She then turned to Carol;

“Now this fine young lady, such amazing talent, such strength. How would you like to take your skill in the sport to London? I hear the Wimbledon tournament is becoming one of the sport’s finest tennis locations”

Carol nodded, but paused for a moment;

“That’s very kind of you Mrs Roosevelt, but i have found my calling coaching. If you would be willing to enter a discussion, I have friends in the city that have been talking of bringing sports to children there that don’t always have access to them. I don’t know about you but i would like to nurture for the future of the countries sporting reputation?”.

Mrs Roosevelt smiled warmly;

“Now that is the spirit Miss Danvers, stop by my cabin tomorrow and we’ll talk ideas”

Finally the dowager stood in front of Hal, cupping his cheek;

“You young man, you have made me wish i was 50 years younger each time i saw you, but above all you always took the time to talk to a senile old woman about the plants you cared for and have astounded me with your knowledge of botanical species. There’s a spot open for you in the scholarship programme to join the botanists team at state capital if it's something you want…” she paused; “And if my brother Frank wouldn’t mind you moving away from the resort for a while…”

You all gasped and turned to Mr Mcgreggor, suddenly realising that the call he had made in his cottage was to the dowager who was his sister. He laughed happily;

“I can train up a new apprentice, Mr Carter has the skill to go further and with your financial backing he can pursue that talent”

With hands shook and contracts signed, you were on a high as Hal took your hand and led you out of the building.

-

**Three weeks later.**

The summer at the resort had come to an end, and as your colleagues tearfully hugged each other unsure if they would see each other again or simply remain penpals, you and Carol loaded your things into the back of Hal’s truck. She turned to you and nervously stubbed the toe of her tennis shoe in the gravel;

“You guys don’t mind sharing an apartment with me?”

Just then Hal came around the truck and wrapped an arm around your waist;

“Carol, not at all. Even with Mrs Roosevelt's financial support, rent is still really high in the city. Makes sense to get a two bed house than two apartments”

“I’m not going to cramp your style?”

“Style? Nah, it’ll be good having another friendly face around. It's as much your place as it will be ours…”

“But, with you two being engaged and all, i just thought…”

Hal gently rested his hand on her shoulder;

“Look, I'm not gonna pass judgment on any man you want to date or bring back to the house, if that’s what you’re worried about…”

You and Carol glanced at each other before failing at hiding your giggles.

“What?” Hal asked as Carol rounded the truck to climb in and you stood at the driver's side to scoot over to the middle; “What, what did I say?”

Putting your lips close to Hal’s ear you kept your voice low;

“Carol doesn’t like guys…”

Staring at Hal you raised your eyebrows.

“Oh…” he said, thinking before it hit him; “OH!”

Peering into the truck Hal winked at Carol;

“Gotcha, understood”

Turning back to you he gave your ass a squeeze;

“C’mon, climb in. Don’t make me get Carol to tell you off”

“Yes Sir”

Hal let out a deep breath;

“Doll, let's wait until she’s out for the night before you start calling me Sir, yeah?”


End file.
